Food - Drink
Poolish, The Pre-Ferment That Pizzerias Use For Flavorful Dough
By KYLE GRACE MILLS
Frozen or delivery pizza can be a delicious and easy dinner, but if you’re willing to put in a bit more effort to make homemade pizza, be sure to add poolish to your crust.
Created in 1840 by Polish baker Baron Zang as a sourdough shortcut, poolish is a pre-ferment dough made with yeast, water, and flour that is left to rest for 8 to 16 hours.
Today, poolish is the pre-ferment of choice in Neapolitan pizza, strengthening the dough and adding a slightly tangy flavor that doesn’t overpour the crust like sourdough might.
Although poolish is made using only water, flour, and yeast, the ratios matter. Flour and water are added in equal ratios to ensure 100% hydration, making the dough ferment faster.
The yeast used is commercial rather than wild, but the amount added depends on temperature, with colder temperatures requiring more yeast to provide the same fermentation.
Poolish is well worth the effort for a chewy, restaurant-quality crust, but plan ahead and allow it to double or triple in size with a bubbly, pockmarked appearance before using.